Preview: North of England Schools 7s 2026 | Live Rugby

The 2026 North of England Schools 7s takes place this Sunday 1^st March across three locations on The Wirral.

Entering its 38^th year, the North of England Schools 7s is one of the great events on the schools rugby calendar. The tournament is spread across the locations, Birkenhead Park FC, one of the most historic rugby clubs in the country, Birkenhead School, and St Anselm’s College.

Birkenhead Park FC will host two groups and the knockouts rounds of the competition, while Birkenhead School and St Anselm’s College will each host three groups during the morning’s competition.

The action from the main pitch at Birkenhead Park FC, which includes Group A and B action, plus the Bowring Trophy and Boodle & Dunthorne Salver knockout rounds, will once again be broadcast LIVE here on NextGenLive, through the NextGenLive YouTube Channel and the embedded video below.

The North of England Schools 7s is one of the biggest and most prestigious tournaments on the schools rugby calendar, running since 1989 when Cowley School won the Bowring Trophy. It features 40 teams from across England, Wales, and Scotland, split into eight groups of five teams each.

Some of the great school sides in history have taken part in this competition, from those Cowley sides of the late eighties to the wonderful Stonyhurst sides of the mid to late nineties, through to the recent era where Kirkham Grammar School and Sedbergh have been challenging each other. Though Sedbergh’s form at the North of England Schools 7s has been firmly consistent since it began, picking up their first title in 1993 and a further 10, including the last three in a row in 2022, 2023, and 2025 (2024 was lost to the weather, sadly). They will surely be favourites again this year, but the competition is going to be more fierce than ever before.

It is the key tournament on the road to the Howden Rosslyn Park National Schools 7s for all involved, one of the most intense and challenging tests of the 7s season. It is competitive too, only those in the top three from each group will make it through to the afternoon’s play at Birkenhead Park FC, with the top side from each group heading to the Trophy quarter finals, second to the Plate quarter finals, and third to the Bowl quarter finals, which was introduced in 2022.

The sense of history and quality at this tournament, played at the group that Austin Healey once called home, is there is the names of some of those that have won the Graeme Marrs Player of the Tournament Trophy, named after the late, great, Graeme Marrs, a giant of the schools rugby scene. The likes of Charlie Simpson-Daniel, Sam Stuart, and Ben Redshaw (twice) have claimed the award, which was won by Sedbergh’s Matthew Cook last year.

As mentioned, Groups A and B take place at Birkenhead Park FC, with Groups C, D, and E at Birkenhead School, and Groups F, G, and H at St Anselm’s College. With the sides all gathering at Birkenhead Park FC for the knockouts. There is a real UK wide feel to the competition too, with three Scottish sides in the draw alongside two Welsh sides.

The Draw

Group A features the reigning champions, Sedbergh, who are seeking a record-extending fourth title in a row. They have won this great competition twelve times and show no signs of slowing down. Up against them are KES Birmingham, who travel up from the Midlands, along with the 2005 Salver winners, St Ambrose College. Two of Yorkshire’s  finest complete the group, Pocklington and the 2011 Salver winners, Ampleforth College.

The other group at Birkenhead Park FC is Group B, and features one of the Wirral sides in the competition, Calday Grange Grammar, who would love to get their hands on some silverware having twice reached the Salver final. Alongside them a Bloxham side that could be a real threat, they have a huge number of representative players this year. King’s Macclesfield will also be a big challenger, they reached the Trophy final in 2005 and won the Salver in 1993, they could well challenge again, likewise a strong Harrogate Grammar side and a Fettes College side that comes down from Scotland with a strong reputation.

Group C takes us over to Birkenhead School, who find themselves in a tricky pool alongside 2003 champions Llandovery College, who have been a real force in Wales in the last two years. Also in the group are last year’s Bowl winners, Gosforth Academy, the Newcastle Red Bulls ACE side, and a Scottish giant in the form of Dollar Academy. Queen Ethelburga’s complete an exciting group.

Staying at Birkenhead School with Group D, which contains the last side since Sedbergh to win this competition, the 2020 champions Barnard Castle, who will be among the big contenders this year too. They are joined by 2023 Salver champions Malvern College and the 2022 Bowl champions Old Swinford Hospital, along with Loretto from Scotland, a very tough nut to crack. A sometime giant of the school game completes a tricky group, Prince Henry’s Grammar from Yorkshire.

Group E is the final group at Birkenhead School, and it’s another cracker. 2014 champions Woodhouse Grove will be one to watch, they look strong this year, as do fellow Yorkshiremen Scarborough College, a rising force in the school game. The same can be said of Lancashire’s Scarisbrick Hall. Local side Wirral Grammar will be eager to make an impact, they were runners up in the inaugural tournament in 1989 and picked up the Salver in 2001, they would love another good run this year. Newcastle School for Boys complete the group, a side that has some incredibly exciting players.

Group F takes us over to St Anselm’s College, and it is a brutal group. Kirkham Grammar School lurk within it, four time champions – most recently in 2017 – and without doubt one of the favourites this year. Alongside them, one of the great names in schools rugby, Stonyhurst College, three-time champions. Also in the group are Durham, who look strong this year, champions in 1997 and more recently Salver winners in 2020. Oswestry will be a tough nut to crack too, likewise Trent College, champions in 1991 and two-time runners up, including to Durham in that 1997 tournament. A fiendish group.

Group G is another tricky pool, containing last year’s runners-up, St Peter’s York – and they will be big challengers again this year. Alongside them another Yorkshire giant, QEGS Wakefield, who are, surprisingly, seeking their first silverware here. Hill House are the third Yorkshire side in the pool, they were runners up in last year’s Salver. Welsh side Coleg Llandrillo are also in the pool Salver runners up in 2023. AKS Lytham complete the pool, the 1994 champions.

Co-hosts St Anselm’s College reside in the final pool, Pool H, and are seeking their first silverware at their home tournament. They have a challenging pool, containing a young Hereford Cathedral side that will be eager to make a mark. Also in the group are former Salver finalists and giants of the school game, Lancaster RGS, alongside RGS Newcastle, who reached the final themselves back in 2015. Completing the group is a very good King’s Worcester side, 2022 Salver winners and contenders for even greater honours this year.

It is, as ever, an incredibly competitive field and should make for yet another glorious day of school 7s at the North of England Schools 7s this Sunday.

Live Schedule

All of the action from Pitch 1 at Birkenhead Park FC will be broadcast LIVE on the NextGenLive YouTube Channel, featuring Groups A and B in the morning, followed by the Trophy and Salver Quarter Finals, the Trophy semi finals, and the Trophy and Salver finals in the afternoon.

Pitch 1, Birkenhead Park FC

10:00 St Ambrose College v Pocklington (Group A)

10:18 King’s Macclesfield v Fettes College (Group B)

10:36 Sedbergh v Pocklington (Group A)

10:54 Bloxham v Fettes College (Group B)

11:12 Sedbergh v St Ambrose College (Group A)

11:30 Fettes College v Calday Grange GS (Group B)

11:48 Sedbergh v KES Birmingham (Group A)

12:06 Bloxham v Harrogate GS (Group B)

12:24 Sedbergh v Ampleforth College (Group A)

12:42 Fettes College v Harrogate GS (Group B)

13:50 Salver Quarter Final 1

14:08 Salver Quarter Final 2

14:26 Salver Quarter Final 3

14:44 Salver Quarter Final 4

15:02 Trophy Quarter Final 1

15:20 Trophy Quarter Final 2

15:38 Trophy Quarter Final 3

15:56 Trophy Quarter Final 4

16:14 Trophy Semi Final 1

16:34 Trophy Semi Final 2

17:13 Salver Final

17:30 Trophy Final

Non-Live Schedule

Pitch 2, Birkenhead Park FC

10:00 KES Birmingham v Ampleforth College (Group A)

10:18 Harrogate GS v Calday Grange GS (Group B)

10:36 St Ambrose College v Ampleforth College (Group A)

10:54 King’s Macclesfield v Harrogate GS (Group B)

11:12 Pocklington v KES Birmingham (Group A)

11:30 Bloxham v King’s Macclesfield (Group B)

11:48 Pocklington v Ampleforth College (Group A)

12:06 King’s Macclesfield v Calday Grange GS (Group B)

12:24 St Ambrose College v KES Birmingham (Group A)

12:42 Bloxham v Calday Grange GS (Group B)

13:50 Bowl Quarter Final 1

14:08 Bowl Quarter Final 2

14:26 Bowl Quarter Final 3

14:44 Bowl Quarter Final 4

15:00 Bowl Semi Final 1

15:20 Bowl Semi Final 2

15:42 Salver Semi Final 1

16:02 Salver Semi Fnial 2

16:40 Bowl Final

Pitch 1, Birkenhead School

10:00 Birkenhead v Queen Ethelburga’s (Group C)

10:18 Wirral GS v Newcastle School for Boys (Group E)

10:36 Birkenhead v Dollar Academy (Group C)

10:54 Prince Henry’s GS v Loretto (Group D)

11:12 Old Swinford Hospital v Malvern College (Group D)

11:30 Woodhouse Grove v Scarisbrick Hall (Group E)

11:48 Birkenhead v Gosforth Academy (Group C)

12:06 Barnard Castle v Malvern College (Group D)

12:24 Llandovery College v Gosforth Academy (Group C)

12:42 Woodhouse Grove v Scarborough College (Group E)

Pitch 2, Birkenhead School

10:00 Gosforth Academy v Dollar Academy (Group C)

10:18 Malvern College v Loretto (Group D)

10:36 Llandovery College v Queen Ethelburga’s (Group C)

10:54 Woodhouse Grove v Newcastle School for Boys (Group E)

11:12 Queen Ethelburga’s v Gosforth Academy (Group C)

11:30 Newcastle School for Boys v Scarborough College (Group E)

11:48 Old Swinford Hospital v Prince Henry’s GS (Group D)

12:06 Newcastle School for Boys v Scarisbrick Hall (Group E)

12:24 Queen Ethelburga’s v Dollar Academy (Group C)

12:42 Wirral GS v Scarisbrick Hall (Group E)

Pitch 3, Birkenhead School

10:00 Prince Henry’s GS v Barnard Castle (Group D)

10:18 Scarisbrick Hall v Scarborough College (Group E)

10:36 Old Swinford Hospital v Barnard Castle (Group D)

10:54 Wirral GS v Scarborough College (Group E)

11:12 Llandovery College v Birkenhead (Group C)

11:30 Barnard Castle v Loretto (Group D)

11:48 Llandovery College v Dollar Academy (Group C)

12:06 Woodhouse Grove v Wirral GS (Group E)

12:24 Old Swinford Hospital v Dame Allan’s (Group D)

12:42 Prince Henry’s GS v Malvern College (Group D)

Pitch 1, St Anselm’s College

10:00 Trent College v Stonyhurst College (Group F)

10:18 St Anselm’s College v RGS Newcastle (Group H)

10:36 Trent College v Oswestry (Group F)

10:54 QEGS Wakefield v Coleg Llandrillo (Group G)

11:12 St Peter’s, York v AKS Lytham (Group G)

11:30 King’s Worcester v RGS Newcastle (Group H)

11:48 Trent College v Durham (Group F)

12:06 Hill House v AKS Lytham (Group G)

12:24 Kirkham GS v Durham(Group F)

12:42 King’s Worcester v Hereford Cathedral (Group H)

Pitch 2, St Anselm’s College

10:00 Durham v Oswestry (Group F)

10:18 AKS Lytham v Coleg Llandrillo (Group G)

10:36 Kirkham GS v Stonyhurst College (Group F)

10:54 King’s Worcester v Lancaster RGS (Group H)

11:12 Stonyhurst College v Durham (Group F)

11:30 St Anselm’s College v Lancaster RGS (Group H)

11:48 St Peter’s York v QEGS Wakefield (Group G)

12:06 Hereford Cathedral v RGS Newcastle (Group H)

12:24 Stonyhurst College v Oswestry (Group F)

12:42 Lancaster RGS v RGS Newcastle (Group H)

Pitch 3, St Anselm’s College

10:00 QEGS Wakefield v Hill House (Group G)

10:18 Lancaster RGS v Hereford Cathedral (Group H)

10:36 St Peter’s, York v Hill House (Group G)

10:54 St Anselm’s College v Hereford Cathedral (Group H)

11:12 Kirkham GS v Trent College (Group F)

11:30 Hill House v Coleg Llandrillo (Group G)

11:48 Kirkham GS v Oswestry (Group F)

12:06 St Anselm’s College v King’s Worcester (Group H)

12:24 St Peter’s York v Coleg Llandrillo (Group G)

12:42 QEGS Wakefield v AKS Lytham (Group G)

Roll of Honour

Bowring Trophy

Boodle & Dunthorne Salver

Bowl

Graeme Marrs Memorial Trophy (Player of the Tournament)